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Photos: Iranians mark new year by tomb of Cyrus the Great
A large group of Iranians gathered by the tomb of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae on Wednesday to mark the beginning of the new year. Pasargadae, the capital of Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC) and also his last resting place, was a city in ancient Persia, and is today an archaeological site and one of Iran's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. - 3/21/13
Happy Nowruz to All!
I'm having a holiday sensory overload today. It's International Day of Happiness. It's the Spring Equinox. It's the New Year for Persians who have celebrated this holiday for thousands of years. And it's the last day of the Baha'i Fast, marking the New Year, or Nowruz (Persian for New Year) at sunset. I'm Persian. I'm Baha'i. And I'm all for spreading happiness. So, let's celebrate! -Homa Sabet Tavangar - 3/21/13
Iran Marks New Year Holiday
Analyst Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute says many of Iran's political leaders, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, are trying to promote traditional Persian holidays like Nowruz to focus on nationalism rather than the more religious aspects of the country's Islamic Republic. -Edward Yeranian, VOA - 3/21/13
UN head praises Nowruz as unifying force
The UN Secretary General issued a message on the occasion of Nowruz and the arrival of spring: "On this International Day of Nowruz, I offer my best wishes to those who celebrate, and express hope that all people can use the occasion to reflect on the beauty of nature, the promise of spring and the power of culture to build peace," Ban Ki-moon said in his message on Tuesday. - 3/20/13
Photos: Haftsin in villages of North Khorasan
These photos show the people in the villages of North Khorassan in northeastersn Iran with their Haftsin spreads welcoming the arrival of Nowruz. A major part of the New Year rituals is setting a special table called Haftsin with seven specific items present. In the ancient times each of the items corresponded to one of the seven creations and the seven holly immortals protecting them. - 3/20/13
Photos: Chaharshanbeh-Suri Celebrations In Tehran - Part II
Chaharshanbeh-Suri is an old tradition of Iranians practiced on the last Tuesday of the Iranian calendar year before the arrival of the new year Nowruz. Chaharshanbeh Suri is celebrated by jumping over bon fires while reciting short verses wishing their problems to be over and they gain the brilliance of fire. This is a purification rite and is a very popular aspect of Nowruz celebrations. - 3/20/13
Photos: Chaharshanbeh-Suri Celebrations In Tehran - Part I
People celebrated Chaharshanbeh-Suri on on Tuesday night across Iran. These photos show the people in the capital city Tehran enjoying this festive occasion. Chaharshanbeh-Suri is an old tradition of Iranians practiced on the last Tuesday of the Iranian calendar year before the arrival of the new year Nowruz. - 3/20/13
Photos: City of Mashhad Welcomes Iranian New Year
The city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran is welcoming the new year Norouz with eye-catching decorations in the streets. Symbols of Norouz and other artworks greet the pedestrians who sometimes pose with them and grab a snapshot of these festive days. - 3/19/13
Photos: Sarbedaran Ritual Welcoming Iranian New Year
In the city of Sabzevar in northeastern Iran, an interesting traditional ritual is performed in the last days of the year before the new year (Norouz) arrives. In this ritual known as Sarbedaran, men move in a circle performing various moves with their hands and wooden sticks. - 3/19/13
NOWRUZ and CHAHARSHANBEH SURI
Nowruz, "New Day", is the holiest and most joyful festival of the Zoroastrian year and the most important national festival for all Iranians. Its celebration is recorded from the Achaemenian period around 500 BCE. Nowruz first appears in Pahlavi texts from the Sasanian period, as nog roz. It is a celebration of spring equinox, when the sun begins to regain strength and there is a renewal of growth in nature. -Massoume Price - 3/18/13
Photos: Gilan Rural Heritage Museum Welcomes Norooz
Guilan Museum of Rural Heritage is holding special programs to welcome the Iranian New Year Norooz. The new year begins precisely with the beginning of spring on vernal equinox, which will be on March 20th this year. - 3/18/13
Photos: Colored Egg Festival at Tehran's Water-Fire Park
Painted Eggs - symbolizing Humans and Fertility - is one of the Nowruz seven "Haft Chin" items which still decorate today's "Haft Sin" tables - a major traditional table setting of Nowruz. - 3/18/13
Iranian government regulates dating sites
The Iranian government has announced regulation guidelines for online dating, announcing that people can now legally set up dating websites on the internet after getting the necessary licence. - 3/17/13
Photos: Egg Coloring Festival in Tehran
An egg coloring festival is being held in Tehran March 15-16 with the participation of 92 artists. The festival is organized by Tehran's Beautification Organization in Fire and Water, City, and Parvaz parks. - 3/15/13
Photos: Deprived Village of Golgah
The village of golgah is located in Maneh and Samalghan region in North Khorasan province of Iran. Life in this village hasn't moved forward into the 21st century, and the people living in this village are still deprived of basic necessities such as drinking water. The local river is the source of the water which is hauled to the village in pots and pans. - 3/14/13
Iran, 18th most populous country in the world
Iran has a population of 76 million, standing at the 18th most populous country in the world, the director of Iran's National Organization for Civil Registration said in Tehran on Tuesday. According to Mohammad Nazemi-Ardakani, the birth rate in the country is currently 18.5 percent per 1,000 people, with mortality rate of 5.5 percent per 1,000 people. - 3/13/13
The Cyrus Cylinder: Its Significance for Today
The Cyrus Cylinder has traveled to the United States for the first time, and it will tour five major metropolitan centers, starting March 9th at the Smithsonian Institution's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C., traveling afterwards to Houston, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Despite its antiquity, the cylinder may still have a significant role to play on the international stage today. -Farhang Jahanpour - 3/11/13
Photos: Iran hosts National Nowruz Welcoming Festival
Iran has held Nowruz Welcoming Celebration during a ceremony in the capital city of Tehran on Sunday to mark upcoming spring and Iranian New Year. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi along with a number of officials attended the national celebration held at Tehran's Summit Conference Hall. - 3/11/13
Norooz App for iPhone, iPad, Android Phones and Tablets
Norooz is a colorful children's app that uses age-appropriate language and interactive features to explain the official start of the Persian New Year and the many traditions surrounding this festive holiday, which has been celebrated by Iranian people for more than 3,000 years. - 3/11/13
Washington DC - The Smithsonian Celebrates Nowruz
Saturday, March 16, 11 am-5 pm: A festive day awaits at the fifth annual Nowruz celebration of the Persian New Year. This year, the daylong festival coincides with the United States debut of one of the world's iconic objects from the ancient world, the Cyrus Cylinder. - 3/10/13
Photos: Volunteers cook 220 Kilograms of Samanoo for Norouz!
Every year, two weeks before the arrival of the Iranian New Year Norouz, a group of devoted people gather at the Alroghieh Mosque in the southern city of Shiraz and cook a large amount of samanoo for distribution among the needy in the city. This year the volunteers cooked 220 kilograms of samanoo! - 3/9/13
Nowruz 2013 - Send Persian New Year greeting ecards
Wish that Nowruz brings the blessings of happiness, prosperity and love. Reach out to all you know with this New Year greeting. Invite and wish a friend or a loved one for a grand celebration on Nowruz with... - 3/9/13
Photos: Paragliding in Mazandaran, Iran
Paragliding is a favorite adventure for tourists visiting the town of Galugah by the Caspian Sea in Iran's Mazandaran province. The heights at the village of Mahdirjeh offer a great point to soar about the beautiful landscape and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. - 3/6/13
Photos: Yazd faces water shortage as supply from Isfahan cut by protesting farmers
Outraged that precious water from their local river is being diverted, last week a group of farmers in Isfahan, Iran destroyed a pump channelling water to the city of Yazd. They've been guarding the pump day and night ever since, refusing to let the authorities fix it. Meanwhile, residents of Yazd are suffering from a severe water shortage, leading to fears of unrest there. - 3/4/13
Photos: Haji Firouz in the streets of Shiraz
In Iranian culture, Haji Firouz is the traditional herald of the Nowruz season. Wearing black make-up and a red costume, Haji Firouz sings and dances through the streets with tambourines and trumpets spreading good cheer and the news of the coming New Year. - 3/4/13
Stirring Video Asks Tehranis 'What's Your Wish?'
There's a moving new video produced by a young Iranian artist Ali Molavi, who asked people in Iran a difficult question: "What's your wish for today?" It's called "One Question Fifty Answers - Tehran." -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE - 3/1/13
Thousands of drug convicts face work camps in Iran
The head of Iranian prisons has announced that 10,000 prisoners charged with drug-related offences will be transferred to work camps. IRNA reports that Gholamhossein Esmaili said on Friday March 1: "Ten thousand drug convicts will be transferred to work camps in Esfahan and Khorasan." - 3/1/13
Theft, shoplifting on the rise in Iran
Iran has suffered an increase in petty thefts in recent months, and reports from a single chain department store, Shahrvand, claim it has lost 6 billion rials worth of goods through theft, predominantly food items. - 2/23/13
Iran drops measures to suppress population growth
Iranian Parliament has approved all amendments to the family planning act, doing away will all forms of restrictions on the number of children that working parents can have. In the past year, Iran's Supreme Leader has called on Iranians to have more children, stressing that his earlier message of reducing the number of children born was an error of judgement. - 2/20/13
Announcing the launch of Golreezan.com, the first-ever line of Persian-inspired stationary
Golreezan.com is a line of Persian-inspired stationery and wall art dedicated to commemorating special moments with a cultural twist. Golreezan products are made with high-quality paper stock and designed with bold prints and endearing sayings written in both Farsi and English. Designed by Iranian-American graphic designer Afsoon Talai, Golreezan offers greeting cards which include holidays and other occasions - 2/20/13
Iranian Official Rejects Reports on Iran's Ban on Buddha Statutes
An Iranian cultural official rejected some media reports alleging that he has called for a ban on the imports and sales of Buddha statutes in Iran, saying that his remarks have been "misquoted". "Unfortunately, my remarks have been misinterpreted," he said, and further explained, "I just meant the illegal imports of certain cultural works and items and in violation of the customs (rules and regulations)." - 2/19/13
Iranian photographer wins awards at World Photo Press
Iranian photographer Ebrahim Noruzi has won two awards at the World Photo Press 2013. The winners of the world's largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest were announced on Friday. Noruzi won the first prize of the Observed Portraits Section for his photo collection "Victims of Forced Love". - 2/17/13
Photos: The Making of Bakhtiari Rugs
The Bakhtiari tribe, based in Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari, is well-known for their rugs and weavings. Bakhtiari Rugs are based on a cotton foundation (warp) with a wool weft usually taken from the herds of the producing tribe. This leads to unique carpets that differ depending on the characteristics of each tribe's wool. - 2/16/13
Photos: 10-km cross-city tunnel inaugurated in Tehran
The largest cross-city tunnel in Tehran, with a length of 10,252 meters, was officially inaugurated on Saturday. The Niyayesh tunnel is one of the world's 20 longest road tunnels. The construction of the tunnel, which connects Tehran's east and west, started in 2011 - 2/16/13
The Day of Women and Earth: The Festival of Spandarmad
Spenta Armaiti was one of the six great Amesha Spentas (holy immortals) who with Ahura Mazda made up the Zoroastrian Heptad that dominated the Zoroastrian cosmology of the Sasanian period. Armaiti means devotion and this female deity represented Holy Devotion and Bounteous. Her task was to guide people to good life and to salvation, and also nurturing of creatures. -Massoume Price - 2/14/13
Cartoons: The Lovers Day
Valentine's Day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards. - 2/14/13
It takes guts to make a film like "Scandal": Iranian Director Masud Dehnamaki
Director of "The Outcasts" trilogy Masud Dehnamaki has said that it takes guts to make a film like "Scandal", his latest film which challenges Iran's official view on Muslim clerics. "Certain people lament that this film would raise people's expectations about the clerics," he said during a meeting held at the 31st Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran on Tuesday to review the film. - 2/9/13
Photos: An Azari Traditional Wedding
Various ethnic groups or people of different regions of Iran have their own traditional wedding ceremonies. These photos show a festive and colorful local wedding held in the Ahar region in Iran's East Azerbaijan province. -Masoume Fariborzi - 2/6/13
Photos: Carnival stages nomad migration on Tehran street
Nomads from Qom, Fars, Kermanshah, Semnan, Ardebil, Golestan, and several other provinces attended the carnival, who began traveling from Vanak Square to the Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds, which is currently hosting a nomadic festival. - 2/2/13
Announcing the Winner of the 2013 Nowruz Banner Contest
Sheida Koufigar, an Iranian-American graphic designer currently studying at California State University, Long Beach, was named the winner of this year's banner contest, which called upon the public to submit designs that visually represent the spirit of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. - 1/31/13
Iran curtails spread of "culture of Valentine"
Iranian customs has issued an order banning all goods that are linked in any way to Valentine's Day. - 1/28/13
Skiing away from the ayatollahs in Iran
High up in the snowy peaks above Tehran, Iranians enjoy more than winter sports. They enjoy a taste of the Western comforts that have, for all intents and purposes, disappeared from the city below. -Ilan Goldman, Haaretz - 1/26/13
Photos: Quake damages houses in Iran's Lorestan province
An earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale jolted the town of Sepid Dasht in Lorestan province, Western Iran, on Tuesday. - 1/25/13
German puppetry therapist surprised by thirst for knowledge in Iran
The founder of the German Association for Therapeutic Puppetry, Barbara Scheel, began a series of workshops starting January 20 on the sidelines of the 31st Fajr International Theater Festival in Tehran. - 1/24/13
Rahmati withdraws from Iran football team after Federation shows interest in German-Iranian goalkeeper Daniel Davari
The Iranian Football Federation (IFF) has recently opened an inquiry into German-Iranian keeper Daniel Davari, who currently plays for Eintracht Braunschweig in the 2. Bundesliga. It seems Rahmati has decided to step down after the Iranian federation showed interest in inviting Davari to the national team. - 1/21/13
Humans Of New York In Iran: Street Portraits By Bandon Stanton (PHOTOS)
It's not every day a young American photographer decides to pick up and leave for Iran given the thirty years of raging hostility between the U.S. and Iran - but then again, Brandon Stanton is not every photographer. -Shirin Barghi, Huffington Post - 1/21/13
Photos: Tehran Street Attackers Hanged In Public
Two men charged with assaulting and robbing a victim on the streets of Tehran were hanged today, January 20, in public. The two were arrested after a video of the assault and robbery was posted on YouTube last month and later aired on public TV in Iran, triggering widespread outrage. - 1/20/13
Photos: Biking for Environment in Qaemshahr
Residents of the city of Qaemshahr in northern Iran held a group cycling event in order to promote clean air and a healthy living. In recent years pollution has been a recurring problem for major cities in Iran, and this a major source of health concerns for the residents. - 1/18/13
Iran Parliament Mulls New Restrictions On Women's Travel
The national security committee of the Iranian parliament is considering a bill that could place further limits on the already restricted right of Iranian women to travel. Women over the age of 18 need the written consent of their father or guardian to obtain a passport. Married women must receive their husband's approval to receive the documents. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE - 1/16/13
Robbery and Double Intimidation: What's Wrong With This Picture?
These days, the subject of violent robberies, usually carried out in public with knives and daggers, has become a hot topic in Iranian public opinion. -Hossein Ghazian - 1/15/13
Iranian drug statistics at all-time high
Iranian police statistics reveal that 652 new drug-related cases are created every day and 30 people are arrested every hour on drug-related charges. The Mehr news agency reported on Saturday January 12 on the unprecedented prevalence of drugs in the country, citing the latest statistics released by the police department. - 1/13/13
Photos: Today Quake Came!
A strong quake hit the city of Borujen in Iran's Charmahal-Bakhtiari province on Saturday. The quake, measured 5.2 on the Richter scale, caused damage to houses and properties. There are however no reports of death or injuries. - 1/12/13
Photos: Strong quake hits Borujen, Iran causing damage
An earthquake, measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale, shook Boldaji region in Borujen township in the western province of Charmahal-Bakhtiari on Saturday. The seismological base of the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University registered the tremor at 06:55 hours local time (0325 GMT). - 1/12/13
Creative Hands of Iranian Women: Embroidered Pateh
"Pateh" is a kind of Iranian handicraft and needlework of colorful wool sewn on women's wear, scarf, and purse. Sewn in the "Toranj" (bergamia), "Sarv" (cypress), and "Booteh" (shrub) patterns (traditional Iranian carpet patterns). Pateh, typically creation of Iranian women and girls, is a spectacular image of colorful flowers and shrubs. - 1/11/13
Photos: The 63,000 Kilogram Soup
On the occasion of anniversary death of prophet Mohammad, in many cities across Iran, a special dish called Ash (Iranian soup) is prepared and distributed among the people, mostly the needy. This year, the city of Shiraz may have broken the record by preparing an Ash which took 63,000 kilogram of supplies! - 1/11/13
Photos: The Mannequins Of Tabriz
A mannequin is an often articulated doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, windowdressers and others especially to display or fit clothing. Iranian clothing stores usually advertise their items to customers using plastic mannequins. Here are some black-and-whites photos by the Iranian photographer AliHamed Haghdust from the mannequins in the city of Tabriz. - 1/11/13
Dozens Called "Thugs" Arrested In Tehran And Other Cities; Rushed Death Sentences For Tehran Robbery Suspects
A YouTube video was released on December 1, in which a building surveillance camera captured images of four young men on bikes, equipped with a dagger, attacking a passerby on a Tehran street, robbing him of his briefcase before the eyes of passersby. The images showed one of them dealing a blow to the victim's face with the dagger, before the four men fled the scene. - 1/8/13
Photos: Cupping and Leeching Alternative Medicine Practices
These photos show the alternative medicine practices of cupping and Leeching in Bojnourd, Iran. Alternative medicine is practiced widely in Iran. In fact, Tehran University of Medical Sciences has a Faculty of Traditional Medicine. Also, there are organizations and websites active in this field including Traditional Iranian Medical Society and the Traditional Iranian Medical Reference Website - 1/7/13
Swiss, Iranian troupes to reprise "Tell/Zahhak" at Fajr Theater Festival
Switzerland's Mass & Fieber and Iran's Don Quixote Theater Troupe plan to jointly perform "Tell/Zahhak" at the 31st Fajr International Theater Festival, which will be held in Tehran from January 15 to 31. - 1/6/13
Iran Developing 'Smart Control' Software For Social-Networking Sites
Iran's chief of police, Esmail Ahmadi Moghadam, has said that the country is developing software to control social-networking sites. Speaking to reporters on January 2, Ahmadi Moghadam said the "smart control" of social-networking sites is more useful than their complete filtering. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL - 1/5/13
Two Iranians sentenced to death for assault caught on film
In early December, a surveillance video recorded how an individual approached a passerby on a busy Tehran street in broad daylight and forced him to relinquish his belongings under threat of a cold weapon. - 1/4/13
Photos: With Forouzan In The Classroom
Forouzan Hezarehsin lives in the village of Sheikh Shamsoddin in Shushtar, southwestern Iran. Due to a physical disorder, she suffers from a very short height. Forouzan spent the preparatory period in a school for special children. However, since it was concluded that her disability is physical, she was transferred to a regular school starting this school year. -Zohre Oveydi - 1/3/13
Iranian Armenians in Tabriz celebrate New Year
Tabriz, East Azerbaijan province, Jan 1 - Iranian Armenians in Tabriz celebrated the first day of the Christian New Year. The occasion was celebrated in Saint Serkis Church on Tuesday evening and the local Armenians started their new year with prayers. - 1/2/13
Iranians seek relief in Christmas celebrations
Gold, red and green gift boxes decorated a large Christmas tree in a popular food court in the Islamic Republic's bustling capital of Tehran. Nativity scenes of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus added color to the windows of shops across this lively city, a small symbol of the growing number of Iranians embracing the Christian holiday. -Tara Kangarlou, CNN - 1/2/13
Photos: New Year Celebration Held at Sarkis Church in Tehran
Iran's Armenian Christian community held a ceremony at Sarkis Church in Tehran on Saturday night to celebrate the New Year 2013. During the ceremony, special prayers were said and New Year's bread was distributed among those attending the celebration. - 1/1/13
People Around The Globe Mark The New Year
Cities across the world have rung in the New Year with fireworks and street celebrations. In New York, tourists and locals cheered amid confetti and fireworks in Times Square as they counted down the remaining seconds of the old year. - 1/1/13
Iran: Reports of sexual crimes on the rise
Criminal Task Force Deputy Hadi Mostafayi said that in the past nine months, a new policy encouraging victims to file charges and the deployment of female officers in order to protect the victims' identity have led to the large increase in the number of sexual assault cases reported. - 12/31/12
MesoCity Tehran Workshop: Art, Ecology and the City
Tehran is the biggest city between Istanbul and Mumbai, a city of 13 million in the desert. Like all other cities in Iran it was positioned strategically at the foot of a mountain in order to source water. But all this is forgotten today, and the urban sprawl has come to erase the memory of the underground water irrigation network: the qanat. -Sara Kamalvand, Nafas Art Mgazine - 12/30/12
Tehran Denies Russian Women Working at Nuclear Power Plant Get 'Hijab Payment'
Iran is denying complaints that Tehran pays a special fee to the Bushehr nuclear power plant's Russian female technicians in order to adhere to the country's Islamic dress code. - 12/26/12
Photos: Christmas Shopping in Tehran, Iran
These photos show Tehran's Christians residents doing their shopping for the holiday season. While Iran is officially designated the "Islamic Republic," among its more than 66 million people is a small but important Christian minority. -Zahra Mehdizadeh - 12/24/12
Cafe Tehroon organizes Literary Tour for Tehran citizens
Cafe Tehroon, a Persian website which organizes cultural tours in Tehran, has arranged a half-day tour for December 27 to familiarize visitors with some literary figures of the city. - 12/23/12
Deaths from alcohol soar in Iran
In the past seven months, 102 people have died in Iran due to alcohol poisoning, Iranian media report. - 12/23/12
Most common surnames in Iran: 1. Mohammadi, 2. Hosseini, 3. Ahmadi
"Mohammadi is Iran's most common surname with 723,166 records." Head of the National Organization for Civil Registration's Identification Documents Office said. Mohsen Karam added "Hosseini with 496,593, and Ahmadi with 467,725 records stand next." - 12/23/12
Khaneye Doost (Friend's House)
I am always surprised by how few Iranians know or have even heard about Golestan Kids. While Golestan is located in Berkeley, on a busy stretch of galleries, independent pottery studios and shops, many Iranians are not familiar with this growing and creative organization. -Salomeh Keyhani - 12/21/12
Statues of 17 Islamic figures unveiled at Tehran center
Statues of 17 Islamic figures were unveiled at Tehran's Eshraq Cultural Center on Thursday. The statues, 12 of which are busts, have been crafted from bronze by Sivash Salimi. He spent 15 months creating the artworks, which have been installed in various sites at the center. - 12/21/12
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